


Darling, Won't You Ease My Worried Mind

by castles_and_crowns



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Armitage Hux is his manager, Ben Solo is a rockstar, F/M, Featuring Layla by Eric Clapton, HEA, Hux is married to Rey, Inspired by Music, No Pregnancy, Non-Linear Narrative, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29634189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castles_and_crowns/pseuds/castles_and_crowns
Summary: He meets her at one of those dreaded award show after-parties that Hux makes him attend. He’s just won two Grammys for his first solo album, and though he’s ecstatic, he’s never been comfortable at these sort of things, preferring to celebrate the night’s success by grabbing a cheeseburger at In-N-Out.Because of this, he’s doing his best to be invisible, sipping on expensive champagne and hiding in the corner of the big outdoor tent.“Can I get you another?” a melodic British voice asks from his right.He turns to see a stunning brunette with legs for days. She’s wearing a short and tight black dress, hair piled loosely in a messy bun atop her head.He’s so awestruck, he can’t immediately reply.Or, internationally beloved rockstar Ben Solo should have everything he could ever want, right? Except when the one thing he wants is his manager's wife, Rey. So, what's he going to do about it?
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 81





	Darling, Won't You Ease My Worried Mind

**Author's Note:**

> [](https://ibb.co/whYxLcF)   
> 
> 
> What do you do when you can't get a song out of your head for months? You eventually find a way to incorporate it into a fic. [Layla (Acoustic version)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVd4WY_Y9Dc) is such an incredibly sexy and angsty song, in my opinion, and it seemed to fit perfectly for a Reylo fic.
> 
> I've got three people to thank for this fic. First of all, I have to obviously give credit to Eric Clapton for writing "Layla" (specifically, the acoustic version). Secondly, I need to give so much thanks to [quixoticlux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quixoticlux/) who looked over this for me and gave really thorough and thoughtful notes. Lastly, I want to give a shout out to [ Yours_Truly_Commander_Shepard ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yours_Truly_Commander_Shepard/) who wrote the brilliant and endlessly re-readable fic "Hanging on a Star," which is how "Layla" originally got stuck in my head nearly a year ago.

_Present..._

Ben Solo doesn’t get nervous in front of audiences.

He’s been performing for years, after all.

Dropping out of college at nineteen, Ben answered an ad he saw online for a local band that needed a guitarist, and as luck would have it, just under a year later, that band wound up having a hit album and a single that stayed on the top ten of the Billboard Top 100 for nearly a year. Unfortunately, the in-fighting within the band prohibited them from ever even making a second album and they split up. From there, Ben put together his own group, and they had even greater success. With this band, Ben put out four hit albums, performed three sold-out world tours, and had two platinum singles. He even headlined the Super Bowl half-time show performance one year. But by Ben’s twenty-ninth birthday, he’d grown antsy creatively, and after a lot of thought and many late night talks, he had decided to branch out on his own. He hired a new manager, signed a new record deal, and, with the help of his creative team put together by his manager Armie Hux, rebranded himself as a moody, guitar-playing heart-throb.

No, Ben Solo definitely doesn’t get nervous in front of audiences.

However, tonight Ben Solo _is_ nervous to get in front of an audience. But it’s not the audience of thousands he’ll be playing for in just a few hours. It’s the audience of one that will be watching from the side of the stage as he debuts his new song.

  
  


***

_Three years ago..._

He meets her at one of those dreaded award show after-parties that Hux makes him attend. He’s just won two Grammys for his first solo album, and though he’s ecstatic, he’s never been comfortable at these sort of things and would have much preferred to celebrate the night’s success by grabbing a cheeseburger at In-N-Out.

Because of this, he’s doing his best to be invisible, sipping on expensive champagne and hiding in the corner of the big outdoor tent.

“Can I get you another?” a melodic British voice asks from his right.

He turns to see a stunning brunette with legs for days. She’s wearing a short and tight black dress, hair piled loosely in a messy bun atop her head.

He’s so awestruck, he can’t immediately reply.

“Another glass of champagne?” she asks again, smiling up at him.

Somehow, he manages to find his voice. “Oh, um, no, thank you. I’m really not a fan of champagne.”

His answer clearly puzzles her, based on the way her brow adorably furrows. “Then why are you drinking it?”

Ben rolls his eyes and shrugs. “My manager basically threw the glass at me. I’ve been nursing it for the last two hours.”

“Hmm,” she hums thoughtfully, switching the tray of glasses she’s been holding to her other hand. “Seems to me like you really don’t want to be here.”

Ben can’t help but chuckle at her observation. He’s not one to laugh often, and the sound is startled out of him in a way that makes the young woman he’s talking to grin broadly.

“You’re completely right,” he answers. “But I was told I was required to show my face at least for a little while, so here I am.”

“Told by whom?”

“My manager.”

She frowns then, and it’s so overdramatic, it’s basically a full-on pout.

“Oh, the poor lives of the rich and famous,” she says, her teasing clear by the way her eyes sparkle mischievously. “So sad that you have to attend these big, glamorous parties.”

“Hey,” Ben counters. “I’m not actually _that_ rich. It’s my label who makes all the money.”

She rolls her beautiful hazel eyes. “Yeah, tell that to my 2003 Carolla.”

Unable to help himself, he laughs again. He’s had more fun with this girl in two minutes than he has had at this party for the last two hours.

Utterly enchanted, he extends his hand. “I’m Ben.”

“I know,” she grins, taking his hand with her free one. “I’m Rey.”

“Rey,” he repeats. “It’s nice to meet you, Rey.”

“Nice to meet you too, Ben. And congrats on your Grammys.”

“Did you watch the show?”

She shakes her head. “I was too busy getting ready to come here. But I heard from some of the other servers that you won two of the big ones.”

“That’s true,” he replies proudly. “I did win ‘two of the big ones.’”

She blushes, and Ben already thought she was beautiful, but with that delightful pink tinting her cheeks, he thinks she must be a damn goddess.

Noticing how she begins to shift the tray to her other hand again, he reaches out, intending to take the tray and put it down on a nearby table. “Here, let me.”

She takes a step back. “Oh, no. I’m sorry I can’t let you do that. I’ve got to keep passing these around.” Then reluctantly, she adds, “I’ve probably been in one spot for too long anyway. We were told not to converse with the guests.”

“What if the guest wants to converse with you?”

Again, she turns the most adorable shade of pink, and he can see her lips fighting the smile that desperately wants to make itself seen.

He’s _this_ close to telling her to forget the damn champagne tray and to leave with him right now when he’s interrupted by Hux rushing up to him.

“There you are!” the high-strung redhead reprimands. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Where have you been?”

“Right here.”

Hux rolls his eyes and, in an exasperated voice, informs him, “Well, I’ve been trying to find you to let you know that Baz is here.”

“Bazine Netal?”

“Do you know anyone else that goes by the name Baz?” Hux asks.

Ben crosses his arms over his chest. “Why should I care if Baz is here?”

“Because you’ve been wanting to collaborate with her forever,” he replies, clearly annoyed that he has to explain this to Ben. But then he snorts and adds, “Well, I guess technically you’ve already _collaborated_ with her once, but you were both too drunk to discuss any further collaborations at the time, so now’s your chance.”

Ben wants to absolutely murder Hux for talking about all of this in front of Rey, who by some miracle is still standing there, though she looks increasingly uncomfortable.

“You know, I don’t think I’m really interested in any collaborations at the moment.”

“Oh, bullshit,” Hux curses. “It’s all you talked about for months. Oh, look--here she comes now. Baz!”

Bazine Netal, the singer known for her glamorous and melancholy music, waves coyly as she approaches them. Ben racks his brain for something to say that will keep Rey here while he politely talks and hopefully quickly gets rid of Bazine, but it seems Hux is already ahead of him.

“Oh, hello,” he says, turning to Rey. “I’m Armie Hux, the long-suffering manager of this broody but extremely lucrative git right here.”

Rey giggles, and it should be a beautiful sound, but instead it makes Ben angry because he’s not the one making her laugh.

“I’m Rey.”

At that moment, Bazine reaches the trio, her body draped in a forest-green sequined gown with a front that opens between her breasts and falls all the way down to her navel.

“Ben,” she greets, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “It’s good to see you again.”

Trying not to sound stiff, he replies, “Good to see you too, Baz.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Hux smirk and turn to Rey. “I’ll take another glass of champagne.” He holds up his empty flute glass. “And then what do you say to us leaving these two to do business?”

Then, to Ben’s complete indignation, Hux puts his hand on her lower back and guides her away.

***

_6 months ago..._

One early afternoon while on tour, Ben stumbled upon a secondhand bookshop. As a voracious reader, he was always trying to find something new to devour when he wasn’t sleeping, eating, or writing new music, and in his search through crates and crates of beat-up books, he came across a thin paperback with a simple bright red cover.

He bought the book, along with a few others, and quickly became intrigued with the love story, written as a poem. Maybe it was a bit dramatic of him, but he found himself relating to Majnun and his one true love, Layla. Majnun had pined for Layla for years, but when he wanted to marry her, Layla’s father refused. Layla was then married off to a wealthy man, while Majnun wandered around the desert, going insane as he continued to pine desperately for her.

In Ben’s darker moments, he felt like _he_ was going insane as he watched Hux and Rey together over these past three years.

He was unable to get the story out of his head, and after a sleepless night on his bus, he began scribbling down lyrics.

***

_Twenty five months ago..._

Just under a year after they first started dating, Hux throws a massive party for Rey’s twenty-third birthday, and he throws it at Ben’s Malibu mansion that oversees the Pacific ocean.

About seventy-five of Hux’s friends are invited, along with a handful of Rey’s friends that Hux finds tolerable. He’d complained privately to Ben on multiple occasions about how juvenile he’d found Rey’s friends, most of whom are waiters, bartenders, and struggling actors. Rey herself, prior to dating Hux, had been a struggling model who had only booked a handful of jobs in the four years she’d been in Los Angeles.

Personally, Ben thinks the party is more about Hux showing off than celebrating Rey's birthday, but he'd offered the house anyway because it's for her. Besides, there's no way Hux's cozy bungalow could fit everyone invited.

He’s known from the moment he offered his house that he’s going to spend the night secretly pining over her; something that’s confirmed when she arrives, a hot pink mini dress clinging to every curve he’ll never get to touch, smiling broadly at all the decorations that _he’d_ put together. Ben has been to dozens of parties more lavish than this one--and likely, so has Rey as she’d worked as a cocktail server--but he loves how appreciative she is that all of this has been done _for her._

What Ben doesn’t know, however, is what Hux has been planning for Rey after she blows out the candles on her birthday cake.

The weather is perfect, balmy with a clear sky, as the guests gather outside to sing _Happy Birthday_. As they sing, she’s delightfully blushing while fiddling with the cheap birthday tiara on her head that her friend Rose had given her. Ben had overheard Hux requesting she take it off, claiming it was “tacky,” but Ben’s relieved to see she hasn’t bowed to him. 

Then, after she blows out her candles and thanks everyone for the well-wishes, Hux exclaims that he has an announcement. Everyone’s eyes shift to him, and Ben gets a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“This past year with Rey has been the best of my life.” He looks away from the crowd then and smiles at his girlfriend, who giggles before kissing him on the cheek. “And I want the next sixty or seventy years of my life to all be the best. Each and every one.”

_He’s never exactly been a wordsmith,_ Ben thinks dryly.

“Which is why, Rey”--his attention is only on her now, though his voice is still stage-like, the volume designed for an audience--”I want to ask you now, in front of all of our friends, to make me the happiest man in the world.”

He gets down on one knee, and in that moment, Ben just knows that he’s thinking about grass stains he’s going to have to get dry-cleaned out of his trousers. But then it suddenly registers to Ben what’s happening. People only get down on one knee to…

Hux pulls a small velvet box out his pocket and opens it. "Marry me."

As Ben’s heart plummets into his stomach, he sees Hux’s eyes dart to all the guests watching him. It’s just a millisecond, but he knows Hux well. He knows how much Hux wants to impress everyone with how nice the ring is. 

Ben hadn’t even known Hux was thinking about proposing. Hadn’t known he’d gone as far as to look at rings. But knowing Hux, Ben’s sure the ring he chose is expensive and custom-designed.

Rey looks shocked, one hand over her mouth. _Say no, say no, please God, say no,_ Ben silently prays, but then she’s nodding and offering her other hand to her now-future husband. He slips the ring on her finger

The guests all cheer and clap as Hux stands and pulls Rey into a kiss. Though he claps politely, Ben feels like he has to look away, the kiss being too intimate for his eyes. When he does look away though, he catches two of Rey’s friends--Finn and Rose--mumbling quietly to one another. He’s surprised to see neither of them look ecstatic; instead, they both look apprehensive and maybe even a little disappointed. 

His gaze stays on Rey’s friends as she runs up to them a few minutes later, clearly excited to share her joy with them. He’s fascinated to watch as Finn and Rose’s expressions shift into something bright and exuberant. 

_Is it possible that they, like him, aren’t happy with this news?_

But _she’s_ happy, so he should be too, right? If he really cared for her in the way he thinks he does, he should be reveling in her happiness. It’s just difficult to do when it’s _Hux_ , who is not only always by his side but also pretty fucking infuriating. Maybe if it was another man who was _deserving_ of her, Ben wouldn’t feel like drowning himself in the ocean in his backyard.

“Surprised you, didn’t I?” Ben hears Hux ask, suddenly right beside him. He tears his eyes away from Rey and her friends to find Hux looking like the cat who got the cream. Something burns angrily in Ben’s stomach.

“You definitely did,” Ben replies, his tone neutral. “Been planning that for awhile?”

Hux shrugs. “Sort of. About a month ago, back when we were all in Vegas, we got into a massive fight, had amazing makeup sex, and then after, I suggested we just tie the knot that weekend since we were down the street from all those chapels. She told me she wanted a ring and for her friends to be at her wedding, so that’s when I started planning.”

Ben raises an eyebrow, not bothering to hide his judgment. “You, of all people, were considering getting married at a tacky Las Vegas wedding chapel?”

“I wasn’t thinking straight, _obviously_ ,” Hux replies. “I’d just had the best sex of my life.”

“Lovely,” Ben mutters.

Hux snorts and lowers his voice just a little, making only a lukewarm attempt at being discreet. “Ben, did I ever tell you about this thing she does with her--”

“Ben!” Rey squeals as she approaches him and Hux. “Isn’t this the most amazing night!?”

She opens her arms to hug him, and Ben allows it, all the while ignoring how warm and soft she feels in his arms.

“It’s a special night, for sure. Congratulations.”

Pulling back from their embrace, Rey is all smiles as she wraps her arm around Hux’s middle and he curves his own arm low on her waist.

“It’s all because of you, you know?”

“Oh?” he replies, ignoring the pang in his chest.

“Well, we met at that Grammy party, right? And Armie wouldn’t have been there, had it not been for you. _And_ he and I probably wouldn’t have met had I not offered you champagne while you were hiding in the corner.”

“Which is why you obviously have to be my best man,” Hux tells him.

Ben represses a groan as he agrees to the dubious honor.

***

_Present..._

The show goes really well. Ben manages to ignore the nerves that had twisted his stomach in knots the entire day all the way up to the moment he got on stage. But now, as the show is coming to a close, the nerves have returned. It’s almost time to debut his surprise new song, the song that absolutely nobody knows about.

He’s decided the new song will be the third to last in his set. That way, if it’s not well-received, he can hopefully win the crowd back with two of his most popular hits. He thinks it _will_ be well-received though, at least by the thousands of people who have come out to see him tonight. Whether it will be well-received by the person it was written about, well--that’s a different story.

There’s a chance she might not even realize it’s about her. There’s an equally likely chance _Hux_ won’t realize it’s about her. And if Ben’s being honest with himself, he’s not sure he wants them to realize. In his more cowardly moments, Ben fears Hux and Rey realizing the truth. It’ll be a pain having to get a new manager, but what’ll be ten times worse is losing Rey. If she realizes the song is about her, there’s a very real chance she’ll completely remove him from her orbit and that would _hurt._ But would it hurt less than everything else he’s already endured watching her and Hux together?

In his braver, more reckless moments though, he wants Rey and Hux to recognize the lyrics are about her. About all three of them, really. Deep down, he knows _something_ needs to change, even if it changes things in a way that can’t be fixed. 

Which is why after he finishes this song, he pulls a stool to the center of the stage and trades his electric guitar for his favorite acoustic. 

“I’ve got a bit of a surprise for all of you tonight,” Ben announces into the microphone.

His audience goes wild, and after letting out an obligatory flattered chuckle, he takes a peak at the left wing of the stage where Hux and Rey have been watching all night. He’s caught a few glimpses of them throughout the show, and it’s clear they’ve been enjoying it. Rey’s even wearing one of the t-shirts sold at his merch stands, though in true Rey fashion, she’s cut the bottom off, turning it into a stylish tank-top, paired with ripped skinny jeans and a black leather jacket.

When he glances over at them, they both smile and wave, Hux definitely the more subdued of the two. Ben gives them a quick smile before turning back to the audience.

“I’ve been keeping this song under wraps for a while now, and truthfully, it’s still a little rough. But tonight is special. I’m back in my hometown of L.A. Some of my closest friends are here. _You_ are here,” he says, gesturing to the audience, who cheers wildly at his acknowledgement. “And because of that, I thought I’d share.”

He adjusts his guitar on his right knee and plucks out the opening chord.

***

_Nine months ago..._

“Happy birthday, Ben!” Rey greets him as he enters the private room in the back of the three-starred Michelin restaurant.

Hux was supposed to be hosting his birthday dinner, but had a family emergency back home in England, leaving Rey to do the duties.

It’s an intimate affair with only eight of his friends, which is nice because this way, he doesn’t have to try so hard to be _on._ He’s only got a month left before his next tour where he’ll be performing most nights for eight months, so he doesn’t really feel like performing for a large crowd of friends and acquaintances, many of whom are much closer to Hux than Ben.

Wearing a long-sleeved blue metallic mini wrap dress, her hair down for once, Rey approaches him and gives him a friendly kiss on the cheek. “I’m sorry Hux couldn’t be here. Something came up with his mother. She hasn’t been doing well.”

Ben nods. “That’s what he’s been telling me. I appreciate you taking the reins though. Thank you.”

Her grin is all shiny white teeth. “You’re welcome. Now, come take a seat so we can order.”

She grabs his hand and leads him to his seat at the head of the table. He’s delighted to see she’s seated directly to his right.

It’s completely different interacting with Rey without Hux around. When Hux is around, Rey is...not _subdued,_ but not usually as animated. He suspects she tries to be a version of who Hux wants her to be, and Ben hates that. He knows there’s so much more to her that’s bubbling under the surface. But tonight, Rey _shines._ She’s all charm and big smiles, and she has _so much_ to stay. 

She tells him how she wants to adopt a dog from a shelter, but Hux keeps turning the idea down. She tells him about funny celebrity anecdotes from her time as a cocktail server. She tells him all about the bridesmaid drama during her wedding eight months ago, to which he wasn’t privy at the time.

By the time she gets to the last story, she’s certifiably tipsy and so is he. Two members of their party have left, and the other five, excluding Rey, have broken off into their own conversations.

“So, Jessika and Kay were both into you,” she says, her eyes animated and her tone conspiratorial. 

“Is it bad that I’m not sure which is which?”

Truthfully, Rey and Hux’s entire wedding weekend is mostly a blur. He spent most of it depressed and drunk, and on the rare occasions he was sober, his attention was focused solely on Rey. He has nearly no recollection of any of Rey’s bridesmaids.

“Jessika is the tall one with the long, dark hair. Kay is the petite blonde who always has her hair in a bun.”

Ben hums, pretending to remember. “And they were both into me?”

Rey snorts. “Oh, yes. I thought there was going to be a brawl over who got to take you home.”

“Wait-- _what?_ ”

“You seriously don’t remember them flirting with you all weekend?”

Ben shrugs.

He supposes _maybe_ he has some hazy memories of some of the women in Rey’s bridal party talking to him, but he was so intoxicated and miserable that he wasn’t picking up on their signals.

“But according to both of them, you didn’t go home with anyone, did you?”

“No, I definitely didn’t.”

Rey nods, this time a bit more seriously. “Yeah, well, Jess wound up going home with some other guy that night, and Kay...well, Kay…”

Her face transforms into a contemplative frown as she trails off.

“What happened with Kay?”

Rey sighs. Ben notices that her eyes have become glassy. “I think Kay slept with Armie.”

Ben’s heart drops into his stomach. “The night of your wedding?”

Rey lets out a humorless snort. “No, after. More recently, I think. I saw texts.”

“Oh.”

“I swear I wasn’t snooping. Armie’s just bad at hiding things. And who knows, maybe they were just chatting as friends, but she’s _my_ friend, not his, and the texts seemed pretty flirty.”

Ben won’t tell her because he swore to Hux he wouldn’t, but he knows Rey’s hunch to be accurate. Hux hadn’t told him _who_ he’d wound up in bed with on three different occasions over the past five months, but he’s certain it must have been Rey’s friend.

Each time Hux cheated, he’d always come to Ben, drunk off his ass and dripping with remorse over his indiscretions. Ben would talk him through it, help him sober up, and then call an Uber and send him back to Rey, who was none the wiser.

Or so he thought.

“I love Armie, you know? But I just…” she trails off again, shaking her head.

He leans closer to her, the rest of the party completely forgotten about. “You what, Rey?”

“Sometimes, I’m not sure I made the right decision in marrying him.”

The air is stolen from Ben’s lungs in one big _whoosh._ “You really feel that way?” 

Rey looks ashamed, and he immediately regrets how he phrased the question.

“Sometimes,” she admits, looking so small. “I’m just not sure if he loves me like I love him. Or if he’s _ever_ loved me the way I’ve loved him. And if that’s the case…” she pauses for a moment, biting her lip in what Ben sees as an obvious attempt to rein in her emotions. “I’m not sure if this can be a lasting thing.”

“You’ve thought a lot about this?” he prompts.

“Truthfully, no. I try not to think about it because it upsets me.”

A tear falls from her beautiful hazel eyes, and Ben instinctively reaches in his pocket for his handkerchief to offer her. She accepts it, gracefully dabbing at her face before her eyes break to scan the room to see if anyone else noticed. Ben quickly glances at the others too and is relieved to find that they’re all still engrossed in their own conversations.

“Rey,” he begins in a quiet voice just for her. He places his hand on her bare knee. “You are the most _magnificent_ woman. Hux would have to be blind not to see that. And he’d have to be a fool not to be constantly falling more and more in love with you and everything you are.”

He both sees and hears her breath hitch in her chest.

“Oh, Ben,” she whispers, eyes still glistening but now shining with something else too. 

In that moment, he knows that’s all he can say. He can’t very well confess his feelings for her at a table surrounded by his friends, nor does he think he would even if they were alone. 

Even so, he wants to keep _talking,_ wants to keep showering her with words that make her eyes bright and steal her breath away. But just as he opens his mouth to say something else, Rey’s phone, which had been sitting on top of the table, vibrates.

She looks down at it, then back up at Ben. “It’s Armie. He said he’d call to wish you a happy birthday.”

She hands him the phone. The moment between them evaporates as he presses his index finger to the green accept button.

***

_Present..._

_“What will you do when you get lonely_

_No one waiting by your side?_

_You've been running, hiding much too long_

_You know it's just your foolish pride...”_

Eyes focused on the audience, Ben croons the first verse, written late one night on his tour bus. 

As he sings, he can feel the positive reactions around him. The audience in front of him is on their edge of their seats, waiting to hear what this song becomes. His musicians are all listening with rapt attention, likely knowing they’ll be playing some version of it in the future. The only reaction he can’t feel is that of Hux and Rey, though that’s mainly because he hasn’t had the courage to turn to the side and look at them yet.

But then he begins the refrain, and he just _has_ to peak at them.

“ _Layla, you got me on my knees_

_Layla, I'm begging, darling please_

_Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind…”_

His eyes go to Hux first, who is nodding along, obviously impressed, and probably thinking about all the ways he can benefit from this new song. But then Ben’s eyes flicker to Rey, who is standing completely still, watching with wide eyes and barely parted lips.

Steeling himself, Ben jumps into the next verse, knowing this is the verse that may change everything:

_"Tried to give you consolation_

_When_ _your old man had let you down_

_Like a fool, I fell in love with you_

_Turned my whole world upside down.."_

***

_One month ago..._

“We’re coming to see you next month,” Hux tells Ben over the phone one evening.

Ben has just finished his show in Houston and is settling back on the bus for the evening.

That catches Ben’s attention. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, it’s the closing night of your show and you’re doing it in L.A. Where else would we be?”

“So you and Rey are both going?”

“Of course. Maybe if you’re not too tired, we can go grab a late dinner after and celebrate all the money you made us.”

Ben snorts, but he also starts planning.

He’s been working on this song for a couple months, but it’s time to start fine-tuning it if he wants to perform it for his closing show. And he’s honestly not sure yet _if_ he wants to perform it. But he’s been thinking about it more and more, and by the end of the week, he’s worked up enough nerve to decide that _yes_ , he’s going to surprise everyone by performing this melancholic love song he wrote about his best friend’s wife.

***

_Present..._

_“Layla, you've got me on my knees_

_Layla, I'm begging, darling please_

_Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind…”_

He finishes the song on a contemplative sigh, and thousands of his fans in the audience go wild, cheering louder than they have all night.

“Thank you, thank you!” he exclaims, waving his hand.

This time, he doesn’t dare look to see what Hux and Rey have made of his performance. He’s on a strange high, feeling exhilarated and relieved, and is ready to finish this show with a _bang._

Ben performs his last two songs, then jogs offstage to prepare for his encore. Waiting backstage is Hux, but Rey is nowhere to be found.

The two men’s eyes meet, but neither say a word. Hux’s gaze is unreadable, and Ben doesn’t exactly have the time to analyze it because the crowd has begun chanting his name. Moments later, he runs back on stage to give his encore.

When the show finally ends for real, Ben is surprised to find Rey has returned to Hux’s side.

He thinks she almost looks _scared_ with the way her wide eyes dart from him to Hux to everywhere else backstage, never focusing on one thing for more than a second.

“Fantastic show,” Hux says. Ben can’t tell if he’s imagining it, but he thinks his manager’s voice sounds a bit _chilly._

“Thank you,” he replies, nodding his head in gratitude. “It went really well, I think.”

“It did,” Hux agrees. “Especially the part where you surprised everyone with a new song.”

Ben fights the urge to look at Rey. “Thank you.”

“Seems a bit unlike the rest of your songs though.”

There is no mistaking the cool tone in his voice now. But if Hux is going to continue to beat around the bush, Ben is going to continue to play dumb. “I’m trying out new things. Stepping outside of my comfort zone.”

_It’s technically true_ , Ben thinks wryly.

Hux hums, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Well, I think we’re going to head back home.” He grabs Rey around the waist and pulls her into him. “I know we talked about possibly doing dinner, but I think we’re going to have to postpone.”

Ben swallows hard and nods. “Okay. No problem. I appreciate you both coming out.”

Hux smiles, but it’s thin. “Wasn’t going to miss seeing my favorite client-slash _-closest friend_ perform.” He looks at Rey then. “Ready, babe?”

Rey nods and for the first time, her eyes stay on Ben for more than a millisecond. 

“Great show, Ben,” she murmurs.

“Thanks, Rey.”

***

A few hours later, Ben returns home to an empty house he hasn’t slept at in months. The first thing he does is grab a beer from his fridge. The second thing he does is strip down to shower, taking the beer bottle with him so that he can drink as the hot water pelts his back.

He supposes it remains to be seen what the consequences of his actions tonight will be, though he’s all but positive they know the truth about the song’s inspiration. At the very least, Hux does, based on their interactions following the show. But there’s nothing new to be learned tonight regarding what the next few days or weeks hold, so Ben decides his game plan for the night is to celebrate his successful tour and his very well-received new song by getting _really, really_ drunk.

After getting out of the shower, he dresses in a gray t-shirt and black joggers, then returns to the kitchen for another beer. As he’s opening it, there’s a knock on the door.

His first thought is _oh, shit, Hux has come to punch me in the face_ , though he realizes almost immediately that that thought is irrational. Hux wouldn’t have the guts to do that, especially not to Ben.

Taking his beer with him, he goes to the hallway to look at the camera footage of who’s at his door. His heart stutters in his chest as he sees the grainy black and white image of a thin woman, approximately five-foot-seven, standing on his porch with her arms crossed and eyes trained on the door.

In that moment, Ben’s grateful his interior designer had put a small table in the hallway, because if he didn’t have some place to put his beer bottle immediately, he’s certain he’d have dropped it in his mad rush to the front door.

“ _Rey,_ ” he breathes, opening the door.

She’s changed out of her concert clothes and is actually dressed similar to him, wearing her own pair of black joggers along with a nondescript gray sweatshirt.

“Ben.”

“What...what are you doing here?”

She pulls a familiar red paperback from her over-the-shoulder bag. “Is this all that was?”

His eyebrows meet his hairline at the realization that she’s in possession of his copy of _Layla and Majnun._

“Where did you get that?” he asks, eyes going from the book back to Rey, who looks a bit sheepish.

***

_Three weeks ago..._

His show in Phoenix goes spectacularly. As he’s reached the final leg of his tour with just a few weeks left to go before his final show in Los Angeles, Ben’s begun to feel a little worn down. But tonight’s show has reinvigorated him. 

As he walks off the stage, leaving the bright lights and cheers of the crowd behind, he realizes there’s another reason for this reinvigorated mood: he gets to sleep in a hotel suite instead of on a tour bus. The moment he gets off stage, he begins dreaming of the jacuzzi tub, the room service, and the king size bed he gets to sleep in tonight.

He goes back to his dressing room to take a quick shower and change, and when he comes out, he checks his phone for the first time in nearly four hours.

He nearly gasps when he sees that Rey has called him four times in the last hour. Concerned that something is wrong, he immediately calls her back. To his relief, she answers on the second ring.

“ _Bennnn!_ ”

“Rey, hey, is everything okay?”

“Everything’s great, Ben. Except. Except, I’m _really_ drunk and I need a ride.”

“Rey, sweetheart,” Ben begins, the endearment accidentally slipping out. “I’m in Phoenix right now on tour.”

“I know!” she exclaims. “I’m here too! I _grew up_ here. My uncle brought me here from England when I was twelve, remember?”

_Duh_ , Ben thinks as he recalls this important fact about Rey. He can’t believe he’d forgotten. “And you’re in the city now?”

“Yep,” she replies, popping the _p_. “One of my childhood friends got married tonight!”

“That’s great.”

“It is! Except I got really drunk and need a ride back to my hotel.”

Confused, he asked, “You can’t call an Uber or a Lyft?”

He can hear her audibly huff. “I mean, I guess I _could_ , but you’re here right now, and I thought...maybe you could come pick me up?”

The idea of getting to have unfettered alone time with Rey in a completely different state where no one else they know is around is incredibly enticing; however, something about it also feels...illicit, even if nothing happens. And obviously, nothing _would_ happen.

“I guess I could,” he says slowly, his desire to see Rey winning out over any guilt he has over spending late night one-on-one time with his best friend’s wife.

“Well, if I’m pulling your leg…” she trails off, and he can hear the _pout_ in her voice.

“You’re not,” he’s quick to assure her. “Send me your location. My driver and I will be there as soon as possible.”

“You’re the best, Ben!” she squeals.

The pin she sends is a reception venue downtown, which is not too far from the stadium where Ben just finished his show. He’s able to pick her up in just under forty-five minutes.

She’s standing right outside the venue talking to two other women when his driver pulls up to the curb. She’s holding her high heels in one hand and her black clutch in the other, and he takes a moment to admire her in a black dress not dissimilar from the one she’d worn when they’d first met. After his eyes drink their fill, he rolls down his window from where he’s sitting in the back seat of the Escalade. 

“Oh my God, Ben Solo!” one of the girls standing with Rey shrieks.

“I told you,” Rey replies, boastful. “I told you he was coming to pick me up.”

She runs toward the car as the driver makes to get out to open the door for her.

“No, I got it,” Ben tells him, getting out himself.

“Thank you sooo much,” Rey exclaims, approaching him. She throws her arms around his neck and hugs him tight. “Did your show go well?”

“It did. Your hometown is a very enthusiastic audience. It was definitely one of my best shows.”

She pulls back, beaming. “That’s fantastic, Ben.”

“And you had fun at the wedding?”

“A blast. At first, I was sad that Armie had to stay in L.A., but honestly, I think he would have just held me back.”

“From getting drunk?” Ben asks, raising an eyebrow at Rey as she slides into the back seat.

“From having a great time. I don’t think he would have enjoyed himself, and then I’d be stuck trying to make sure he was doing okay instead of getting down on the dance floor like I did.”

Ben chuckles as he gets in the car after her.

“So, what hotel are we going to?” the driver asks.

When Rey answers, Ben’s eyes go wide.

“I’m staying there too!” he exclaims.

Her face lights up. “Wait, seriously?!”

“Yes. I was going to see if you wanted to go grab a late night bite somewhere, but since we’re both going back to the same place, how do you feel about room service? It’s what my original plan for the night was anyway.”

“That sounds amazing.”

They order food when they get back to his suite, and with her mouth stuffed with cheeseburger, Rey regales him with stories from the wedding. And Ben, because he is a sucker, hangs on her every word. 

After they’re done, she asks if they can watch a movie. “Just while I drink some water and finish sobering up.”

“Yeah, sure,” he responds, not ready to end their night either. 

Together, they sit with their backs against the headboard of his king-size bed. There’s a respectable amount of distance between them, but Ben still knows deep down that Hux would be furious if he knew Ben and Rey were currently in a bed together.

They pick a movie that’s only 100 minutes, but about forty minutes in, Rey falls asleep, her head somehow winding up on Ben’s shoulder despite the initial gap between them. He doesn’t make any attempt to move her or wake her up until the movie’s over, and then when he does, she removes herself from his shoulder, scooches down in the bed, and mumbles that she’s too tired to walk back to her room.

“C’mon,” he encourages gently. “I’ll walk with you.”

“No,” she says, eyes still closed and half of her face smooshed into the pillow. “Can’t I just stay here? In the fancy rockstar suite?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Rey. What would Hux say?”

That wakes her up just a little more. “What would he say if he knew I saw his credit card statement from last month, and on that statement were multiple purchases of lingerie and stays at hotels? And on the dates when he was _supposed_ to be away in New York or Chicago or London. What would he say to _that_?”

Ben sighs. “Rey…”

“We’re not doing anything, Ben,” she says, patting his arm. “We’re not going to do anything. Except sleep.”

He sighs again as he shakes his head. “Okay,” he mutters. “Okay. I’m just going to go change real quick.”

Rey lets out the softest hum of assent as Ben rises from the bed and goes to his suitcase to get his pajamas. He digs past his copy of _Layla and Majnun,_ which he’d tucked away in his suitcase, and grabs a t-shirt and sweatpants. As he changes in the bathroom, he glances at the jacuzzi tub, which he never got to use because he and Rey had decided to watch a movie instead.

_Worth it_ , he says to himself.

Once he’s done, he returns to the bedroom, where he sees Rey has crawled under the covers and is almost certainly fast asleep. Not feeling quite right about getting under the covers with her despite the distance between them, Ben remains on top of the covers, where he falls asleep looking at Rey’s peaceful and slightly makeup-smeared face.

When he wakes up in the morning, she’s gone, though she’s left him a note scribbled on the little tablet of paper that the hotel provided.

_Ben,_

_Thank you so much for such a great night. The cheeseburger was delicious, and I’m sorry I fell asleep on you (literally!) during the movie. I wish we could do this more often. Have a good rest of your tour! See you again soon!_

_Love,_

_Rey_

He never realizes that his copy of _Layla and Majnun_ is missing.

***

_Present…_

“I took it from your suitcase that night in Phoenix,” she confesses. “The cover caught my attention. Red with a big heart. I thought it was strange that you were reading something that looked like that, so I wanted to check it out. I was going to give it back.”

“I see.”

“So now that we’ve established that I’m a petty thief,” she says, blushing but holding his gaze. “I need to ask again. Is this all that was? That song?”

His heart beats frantically in his chest as he tries to determine what he should say to the beautiful woman standing in front of him on the precipice of uncovering it all. Ultimately, he doesn’t answer her question. Instead, he asks one of his own. “Well, did you read it?”

She sighs in frustration. “I did. And I see the similarities, but…”

“But?”

“But, I can’t help but wonder if the similarities end with the poem. Or if your song could be based on...other things as well?”

“Yes,” he whispers. His heart feels like it’s going to burst from his chest and fall at her feet from how hard and fast it’s beating.

“Yes?”

“Yes, it has to do with other things.”

She inhales sharply. “What other things, Ben?”

He swallows hard. “You.”

Her beautiful hazel eyes are now glassy. “Me?” The look on her face makes him think that he’s just confirmed what she’d thought _and_ surprised her at the same time. “You...you wrote that song about me?”

“Yes. But I couldn’t very well call the song _Rey_ , could I?” he says, letting out a watery chuckle.

“No,” she responds, releasing her own wet laugh. “No, I suppose you couldn’t.”

A few tears fall from her eyes, and before she can wipe them away with her own hand, he reaches out and brushes them off her cheeks.

“Does he know?” Ben asks.

“Pretty much. He asked if I was…” she pauses, swallowing hard. “... _fucking_ you. I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. He said not to play dumb, that obviously the song was about us. I insisted nothing was going on, but he was _so angry_.”

“He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“No, of course not. But he kept _yelling_ and _accusing me_ on the way back, and he wouldn’t drop it, so when we got back to the house, I left.”

His hands are still on her face, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs and brushing away stray tears that fall from her eyes when he asks, “Left? Left him?”

A small, nervous smile forms on her lips. “That depends,” she whispers, and her words send a shiver down Ben’s spine. 

They’re already in each other’s space, but Ben takes a step closer and breathes a final question against her lips. “Depends?”

Her eyes bore into his as she drops the fateful red book before wrapping her arms around his neck.

“On you,” she answers, her lips all but brushing his. “It depends on you, Ben.”

And because Rey says it’s up to him, Ben makes the conclusive decision for them. He closes the miniscule distance between them, sliding his fingers from her face into her hair, and presses his lips to hers.

"Their kiss is only tentative for a second before any lingering hesitancy between them is gone. Ben's tongue darts out. Rey lets him in, and it's as if she's not just welcoming him into her mouth but her heart and soul as well. Ben wants nothing more than for her to understand that she's welcome into his heart and soul too.

They cling to each other for a few moments more as their mouths and hands explore each other. Finally, they break apart, panting heavily.

Rey’s eyes open a millisecond after Ben’s, and when her hazel eyes meet his, her smile is so blindingly brilliant that Ben swears he’ll write a thousand more love songs to see it for the rest of his days.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So backstory on the real song: Eric Clapton, who was in love with his buddy George Harrison's wife, was inspired to write the song after learning of the story of Layla and Majnun. The original version is much faster and a bit frantic, but I much prefer the acoustic version that came later, which is the version Ben writes and performs in the fic. 
> 
> Follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/castles_crowns) and/or [Tumblr!](https://castles-and-crowns.tumblr.com)


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